Sled Dog Racing
This page is my history in dog racing which began after I retired from 20 years of teaching Junior and Senior High School Art. In 1990 at the age of 50 years old I learned to Skijor, joined the local club, met fabulous people, many who are still my best friends and discovered competitive racing.
I advanced from Skijoring into sled dog racing when I asked my husband Milt to fix an old broken sled that someone had given me, instead he used it as a pattern and built me my first dog sled. I had 3 dogs at the time so I joined the Anchorage mushing club and began racing in the 3 dog class, then in the 4 dog and finally settled into the 6 dog class which is where I am today. My reason for favoring the 6 dog class is because if I crash and end up being dragged by the dogs, generally I can hang on until my body weight slows the dogs down and I can stop. Using more than 6 dogs, my body weight doesn't make any difference and the dogs just keep running with me being drug down the trail at 20 miles per hour, NOT FUN!
December 2012 and this is my 17th year of sled dog racing, I have a birthday next week and I will be 69 years old and I am sill having mushing adventures. Here are some of my favorite race pictures and I hope that you enjoy my BLOG as I write about my races during this season.
My Race Schedule 2013-2014
Happy to survive racing at 30 below zero
Ist Place finish on my birthday, cold at -10
No one could believe that we raced at -40. The club's temperature cut-off temperature was -30, but after the long 2 1/2 hour drive to get there, no one wanted to go home. We voted to race anyhow, they listed the temperature at -29. Here's PROOF of the temperature. I won the race in the 6-dog class and made $640.
Training on a beautiful frosty trail.
The is one of my favorite racing pictures, Britt Coon was the photographer. I placed 3rd and made $364.
First time running a 10 dog team in this 3 day race, racing 10 miles each day. Day 2, I fell, I got drug, I lost the team, hitched a ride with the next racer, found the team with the ice hook holding them and place 12th overall after 3 days of racing.
First time I ever passed Jennifer who always beat me, it sure felt good to pass her. I placed 3rd after 2 days of racing, made $396
My all time favorite photo of me by Britt Coon. This was taken on the same day that I lost the team and after I caught them, I continued on with the race
another COLD race at -15, I won the race.
My team running through the culvert, Roxie is distracted by the crowd. Photo by Britt Coon.
First place and I set a track record of 16:33 for the 6 mile course.
I am with my 2 leaders, Sable and Bandit, their sister Roxie and mother Dianna were running in swing. Placed 4th and won $250.
Just 3 months since I had total knee replacement surgery and I am back on the sled racing. Cold at -10
I should have won this race but my leader Sable ran off the trail after a squirrel on day 2. I ended up in 4th place, made $150